Pulong Tau Expedition Report

Summary

Pulong Tau National Park, in the Kelabit Highlands of Sarawak, was initially proposed in 1984 by the National Parks & Wildlife Office and supported with a petition from the local community (National Parks & Wildlife Office Sarawak 1984). The proposed park covered 164,500 ha and included Gunung Murud (Sarawak’s highest peak), the spectacular twin peaks of Batu Lawi and the Tamu Abu mountain range.

In 1986 a small breeding population of Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis), previously thought to be extinct in Sarawak, was found within the proposed park. Together with evidence of other endangered species, this led to a second proposal to constitute the park, now as 159,000 ha (National Parks & Wildlife Office Sarawak 1987)

On 25th June 1998 the initial proclamation to constitute the proposed Pulong Tau National Park was passed (Notification No. 2174, 1998). The proclamation is a welcome step, however the proposed area has been reduced to 63,700 ha.

Batu Lawi was not included and only a small area of Gunung Murud is protected. This will degrade the considerable tourism potential of the national park and failure to include the area in which Sumatran Rhinoceros was recorded also means that an opportunity to protect the habitat of this seriously endangered species will be lost.

According to the International Tropical Timber Organisation (ITTO), Sarawak, Pulong Tau is registered as a Totally Protected Area of 164,500 ha extent. Hence, the proclamation of just 63,700 ha currently appears to be inconsistent with requirements under the 1994 International Timber Trade Agreement.

Between 27^th Aug. and 9^th Sept. 1998, members of the Malaysian Nature Society (Miri Branch) and the local Kelabit community trekked through the forest between Batu Lawi and Gunung Murud, making observations on the flora and fauna, and ascending both peaks. In the report, an analysis of the great natural diversity of the area and an account of the journey is presented, and recommendations for the future are made.

The report seeks to demonstrate that this area is an extraordinary piece of Sarawak’s natural heritage, and submit that it should be preserved in perpetuity. It is recommended that the boundaries of the Pulong Tau National Park be extended to include Batu Lawi and the surrounding forests which form prime Rhinoceros habitat. This should guarantee the long-term viability of Pulong Tau, which as an area of outstanding natural beauty and a centre of biodiversity, has the potential to become a world-class tourist destination.

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